A decentralised, community-driven, impact-based flood forecasting and early warning system has been launched for the Periyar and Chalakudy river basins
in Kerala.
Inaugurated on September 28, 2024, this pioneering system aims to enhance disaster management in response to severe floods exacerbated by climate change and human activities.
The initiative, CoS-it-FloWS (Community-Sourced Impact-based Flood Forecast and Early Warning System), was developed by Kochi-based Equinoct in collaboration with the Ernakulam District Disaster Management Authority, Community Resource Centre, and Resilient Destinations Foundations.
The system uses data from 100 community-operated rain gauges to provide real-time flood information to the Ernakulam District Emergency Operation Centre.
This project, featuring large-scale hyper-local data collection, includes a mobile app, “gather,” to transmit rain, river, and groundwater data. It aims to address gaps in current flood forecasting systems by involving community volunteers and integrating AI to improve flood prediction and disaster response.
The initiative is expected to be tested during future extreme weather events to refine its accuracy and scalability.
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